Iran executes 21-year-old karate athlete arrested in January protests
Iran’s judiciary said on Thursday it has executed Sasan Azadvar, a 21-year-old karate athlete arrested during the January protests.
The judiciary accused him of “effective cooperation with the enemy by damaging police vehicles, inciting people to war and killing each other with the intent of disrupting national security, and encouraging others to take part in unrest and riots."
Azadvar, who was detained in January and held at Dastgerd Prison in central Iran, had previously won provincial karate championships in Isfahan.
Dozens of citizens described the rollout of tiered internet, branded as “Internet Pro,” as part of a system of inequality emerging during months of widespread connectivity restrictions.
Internet access was first cut on January 8 alongside calls for nationwide protests and remained fully restricted until January 28. About a month later, during US and Israeli strikes on Iran, authorities imposed another shutdown that has now lasted more than 60 days.
Monitoring group NetBlocks has described the ongoing disruption as one of the longest state-imposed internet blackouts recorded globally, leaving tens of millions of people largely cut off from international connectivity.
Material circulating among users outlines a four-level structure of access, with so-called “white SIM cards” at the top offering largely unrestricted global internet, although their pricing has not been disclosed.
A second tier provides paid “Internet Pro” access with partial connectivity but continued filtering and daily limits, with operators formally setting prices at around 400,000 rials per gigabyte (about $0.22) and packages such as 50 gigabytes annually priced near 25 million rials (about $14).
Below that, users rely on VPN services for broader access, often at significantly higher cost – figures shared by users point to similar data volumes reaching about 70 million rials (around $39) – while the majority remain limited to a restricted domestic network, where access to local services is priced far lower, including packages around 3 million rials (about $1.70).
Average income in Iran is around $150 to $200 per month, while the minimum wage is typically below $100.
“In Iran, for more than two months the government has cut off people’s internet and now it has launched a fully legal form of internet rent-seeking,” one citizen said. “They sell limited annual access to businesses and casually turn the internet into a class-based system. This is an obvious injustice.”
Citizens link plan to wider corruption
Several citizens described the initiative as an extension of long-standing financial networks tied to filtering and circumvention tools. They argued that the same actors who benefited from selling virtual private networks are now promoting the new service.
One person said individuals previously involved in selling VPN access during periods of heavy restrictions have begun advertising Internet Pro packages.
Others framed the policy as a revenue stream. Some said authorities appear to be offsetting economic pressure through monetizing access to global connectivity.
“If the shutdown is truly about national security as you say, then what is this Internet Pro?” another citizen asked. “Is it another way to take money from people?”
Past reporting has pointed to a lucrative market around filtered internet access. In one instance, a member of parliament said the annual turnover of the VPN market reached tens of millions of dollars.
Businesses struggle despite limited access
Many messages said selective access has done little to ease the broader economic damage, with users saying that businesses cannot operate when customers remain offline, even if sellers regain limited connectivity.
“Many businesses have shut down and people’s lives have been disrupted,” one citizen wrote, describing internet access as a necessity rather than a privilege.
Another person questioned official reasoning that the policy aims to support commerce. “If a seller has internet but the buyer does not, what is the point?” the message read.
An online shop owner said the plan fails to help businesses dependent on social media platforms. “Even the Internet Pro they talk about is useless for us,” the person said. “We need customers online. If ordinary people cannot connect, our access means nothing.”
Students and professionals also described setbacks. A graduate student said research had stalled due to lack of access, while instructors continued to use less restricted connections without objection.
Others pointed to broader social effects, including disruption to education and rising psychological strain linked to isolation from global communication networks.
Media groups warn of wider impact
The Tehran Province Journalists’ Association criticized the internet shutdown and access controls in a Thursday statement, saying free internet “is the right of all and must not be sold under any name.”
“Repeated internet shutdowns, beyond causing serious harm to businesses and essential communications, have a destructive impact on media work and the economic condition of media outlets,” the statement said.
The association said offering higher-quality access to select users creates additional social problems, adding that “granting a public right to specific buyers at a higher price is against citizens’ legal rights and is unethical and must be removed from the government’s agenda.”
It called on authorities to provide equal and fair access to all journalists and media organizations, emphasizing that free and transparent flow of information is central to media activity.
“Access to free, high-quality and universal internet is not a luxury but a public right, and governments are responsible for ensuring it,” the statement said.
Separately, the newspaper Etemad highlighted the human impact of the shutdown, reporting that restrictions have not only damaged online businesses but also affected people’s mental well-being.
The report noted that platforms such as Instagram and Telegram had become part of daily life for many Iranians, and their sudden disruption has created a sense of disconnection.
It added that users had only recently begun integrating tools such as ChatGPT into everyday use, but are now cut off from such global services, with younger generations facing particular strain on their digital identity and mental health.
Calls grow to reject privileged access
A recurring theme in the messages was refusal to participate in the system. Many citizens described accepting privileged access as complicity in unequal policies.
A dentist in Tehran said he had declined multiple invitations to receive Internet Pro access. “Internet is the right of all people,” he said, urging colleagues not to accept what he called rent-based access.
Another citizen described support for the plan as a “betrayal to all Iranians” and encouraged collective refusal.
Some messages praised professional bodies that have rejected the offer. Iran’s nursing organization said on April 26 it would not seek special access for its members while the broader public remains restricted.
Similar positions were taken by associations representing graphic designers, nurses and lawyers, who described the policy as inconsistent with principles of equality.
“These decisions show that resistance is possible,” one citizen wrote, calling for wider adoption of similar stances.
Wider context of prolonged shutdown
Under current conditions, most citizens rely on costly and often insecure VPN services to access blocked platforms. Internet Pro offers limited alternatives but still includes filtering and usage caps.
Across dozens of accounts, citizens framed access to the internet not as a service to be rationed, but as a shared right – one they say should not depend on status, profession, or ability to pay.
